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Woman Loses Finger Protecting Pet From Dog Attack

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STERLING HEIGHTS (WWJ) - A Sterling Heights woman has lost a finger and the tips of several others after she tried to protect her dog from an attack.

The incident happened around 8:40 p.m. Tuesday in the 4800 block of Chadbourne Drive, near 15 Mile and Ryan roads.

Police say the 54-year-old woman was walking her Cairn Terrier, which typically weigh less than 20 pounds, near a home where a Boxer-Labrador mix lives. As the woman passed the home, somebody opened a door to enter and the 2-year-old Boxer mix escaped.

According to police, the larger dog ran after and mauled the smaller dog. Police say when the woman tried to stop the attack, the dog lunged at her.

“The victim tried to pull the boxer away from her dog and then the boxer turned on her and started biting her fingers,” Lt. Luke Riley told the Oakland Press. “The boxer’s owner responded and pulled her dog off the lady and the other dog.”

The dog severed one of the woman’s fingers and tips of several others. Her own dog had several lacerations, but is expected to recover.

Police say the Boxer mix was turned over to the Macomb County Animal Shelter to be euthanized because it did not have up-to-date vaccines, including rabies.

The owner of the Boxer mix, a 45-year-old woman, was cited by animal control officers for harboring a dangerous animal, failure to restrain a dangerous animal, and having an unlicensed dog.